Unsanctioned Actions
by Strangers-when-we-meet
Summary: Caessia is the handmaiden to a beautiful princess of a neighbouring world to Asgard. She is a fiery spirit and doesn't take well to servitude, or Loki for that matter. The two are quick to start a game of their own while she and the princess visit, but the God of Mischief is determined to show the maiden the meaning of obedience. Loki/OC - M for later chapters


Lady Aranel was the fairest of all Elfhame. Long blonde hair fell in soft rings down her back, bright blue eyes that could stop any man in his tracks, and a figure that stood out even for an elven maiden. She was the daughter of the King, and what better way to strengthen the bonds between two kingdoms then to attempt a marriage? That would be the core reason Lady Aranel was sent to Asgard, marriage, and to hopefully the next in line to the throne. Not that he would mind either brother, in truth.

And so, the Lady stood wearing her best gown, with two handmaidens on each side of her. One of them was similar in appearance to Aranel, with blonde hair and blue eyes. However the other had long, dark brown hair and equally dark eyes. Her complexion was fair and pale while her lips and cheeks a soft rose colour. In the elven standards, she was quite plain, but pretty regardless.

The brunette sighed heavily, wanting nothing more than to return home. Her hands gently held onto the light purple fabric that loosely fell from her body. Aranel cast a quick look over her shoulder. "Are you okay, Caessia?"

Caessia gave a curt nod, she was still trying to get used to this 'handmaiden' thing. As things stood at that moment, the brunette had little respect for the beauty before her. At times her rather bland view of the Lady shone through. In Caessia's opinion, it was completely justified. However, at the sight of Odin approaching, she quickly cast the thoughts from her mind and stood a little taller. She noticed two young men in tow, presumably the sons she had heard so much about. Thor and Loki.

"Lady Aranel, welcome." Odin seemed to be a kindly man, even with his battle scars. The eyes and attention of the three men were trained on Aranel, which was to be expected, and this allowed Caessia's eyes a few precious moments to wander freely.

Thor was tall, and strongly built. His blonde hair and blue eyes were pleasing to look at, but his ego was brighter than the smile he wore as he greeted Aranel. Still, he seemed nice enough.

Caessia's gaze finally settled on the young man with the jet black hair and the emerald eyes that were lit with intelligence and a bit of mischief. Loki did not have the same build as his brother, however he stood a little straighter, and his smile seemed tight and slightly forced. Despite the image of slight discomfort, he was rather polite when he spoke. Those eyes though, they kept drawing her in-

"These are my loyal servants, Miriel and Caessia." Aranel said, and in that moment Loki had caught Caessia practically staring at him.

'Oh, Gods, how embarrassing.' Pulling a quick smile, Caessia clasped her hands in front of her and gave a low bow. Hopefully he thought nothing of it, but he was a prince so he was probably used to it. Clearing her throat awkwardly, she stood once again. There was a trace of a smirk playing on Loki's lips, but he did nothing more than give her a quick nod.

The attention was once more on Aranel. A few more words were exchanged, before they all began walking towards the room they would be sleeping in. Caessia and Miriel were ignored for the most part, the two occasionally sharing glances but keeping silent.

"We are lucky to have such a beautiful guest, such as you." Thor said, giving Aranel a quick smile. Caessia rolled her eyes, and she was lucky she was walking behind the group. Miriel jabbed Caessia in the ribs, a stern look crossing her features. A silent wail of pain escaped Caessia's open mouth for a split second, before she quickly shut it and regained her composure.

"I must take my leave, I trust my sons to show you the rest of the way. I hope to see you at dinner, Lady Aranel." Pausing for a moment, Odin bowed his head in Aranel's direction before walking off. Loki and Thor walked at a slow pace, each on either side of Aranel. Caessia found it to be a sickening display of compliments being shared between the three.

Perhaps it was, no it was certainly, jealousy. To know that there would never be anyone giving her that smile and attention that the two were giving Aranel, well, it twisted her chest into something painful. A 'handmaiden' she was, handpicked from the city she called home, and a 'handmaiden' she would always be. It wasn't like that just for her, however, it was like that for any personal servant of the royal family. Doomed to a loveless life and eternal servitude and she found it amusing to know that some considered it an honour.

A dark cloud hung over Caessia as she continued to think deeper on her life. Once more her eyes were wandering, tracing the statues and paintings, once in a while catching the eye of another servant. A door that had been left open caught her attention. Giving Aranel a quick look to be sure she wasn't watching, Caessia quickly slipped through to get a better look at what had made her feel a little happier.

Books.

Yes, the little elf had found the grand library. The change in her mood was nearly immediate, and a small smile lifted her lips. A few minutes passed, one too many, in fact.

"Your master is looking for you."

Caessia snapped her head up from the book she had been absorbed in, a sneer on her face from the words. Loki stood at a few steps away from her, his hands behind his back, his brow quirked in amusement.

"I wasn't aware they educated the servants in Elfhame. " He continued, his eyes falling to the books in her hands. "Perhaps they should reconsider it, seeing as how they find leaving their master's side appropriate."

She snorted, and even though she closed the book gently and left it where she had found it, irritation was clearly filling her. "Perhaps you should cease to speak of me as if I were a slave. I am nothing of the sort." Caessia's voice was bordering on mocking, and she knew in the back of her mind she should be watching what she was saying. He was a prince, after all. "How did you find me anyway, shouldn't you be off wooing the princess?"

Loki smirked; she had quite a fire in her that went untamed outside of Aranel's presence. And here he had been thinking she was just another mindless little maiden. "I would not suggest speaking to me like that again. " His voice went low, and his eyes burned into Caessia's. Gritting her teeth, she stood up and bowed low.

"Forgive me, I was out of place." Or maybe she was just mindless, it was almost disappointing. Turning, Loki found Thor and Aranel to be standing at the door, waiting.

"Caessia, you are such a child. Come now, and do not wander off again." Aranel's words were nearly a hiss. Caessia bowed once more in compliance and began walking towards the door. However, she certainly did not forget to give Loki a seething glare, and he could do nothing but smile in return.

Dinner came and went, and then Miriel and Caessia attended to Aranel as she got ready for bed. Finally, the two were free to tend to their own needs for the night. It was times like these that Caessia truly appreciated. The two sat in the kitchen, huddled together by the fire stove and eating what the others had given them. They were free to talk, to laugh and make jokes.

It was a small taste of the freedom she once had.

Dawn was approaching, and the two made their way back to Aranel's bedroom. Caessia once more spotted the library, and waved Miriel on. She had yet to finish the chapter she was on earlier before she had been so rudely interrupted.

Quietly sliding between the doors, Caessia made her way to the desk she had both found and left the book. Much to her displeasure, a body was already sitting there, albeit asleep.

He must have been mocking her. Loki sat hunched over on the desk, head buried in his arms, fast asleep. The book she was looking for served as his pillow. Narrowing her eyes, she noticed he had been reading it himself. Two options were clear to her, either she left and let him win, or she took the item she came there for. The decision was obvious.

Light as a feather, and quiet as a falling feather, she inched closer to the sleeping God. At first, she attempted gripping the edge of the book and simply pulling. However, that would give her ripped paper. She tried slipping it this way, pulling it that way, nothing worked.

Biting her lower lip, Caessia placed a hand on his shoulder and another on the side of his leg. The fabric was smooth beneath her skin, and for a moment she reconsidered what she was about to do. If she had been out of line before, she definitely was about to cross the line and run away from it.

Giving a hard shove, Loki's sleeping body jolted awake as he crashed onto the floor. Confusion swept over him as he eyed the chair. His heart took only a few seconds to calm down, and his eyes snapped to the sound of feet running against the cold marble of the library floor. He only needed to see the light purple fabric disappear behind the doors to know who had shoved him.

Loki was going to show Caessia the meaning of obedience, and he was going to have fun doing it.


End file.
